


I see through you

by vikinglord



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekchen - Freeform, Harry Potter AU, M/M, Smut, aurors jongdae and baekhyun, but with plot, ministry workers au, muggleborn!jongdae, post war time, pureblood!baekhyun, set in soukor, very slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:48:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24634822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vikinglord/pseuds/vikinglord
Summary: When falling for his charming looking co-worker Jongdae didn't realise the dangers that came with it.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 16
Kudos: 73
Collections: Wingarbyun Leviosa (Round 1)





	I see through you

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #R1-033 written for Wingarbyun Leviosa
> 
> To the prompter, I know this technically isn't 'death eater Baekhyun' but I tried to include similar themes so I hope you still enjoy reading this. Also, others who click on this story, I hope you enjoy this too~  
> I had a lot of fun writing this given that exo and harry potter are two of my favourite things,, I've tried hard to build baekchen's relationship in a magical setting as they explore each other's side of the world I really hope that it shines through
> 
> Title from Primary Feat. Zion T, Gaeko - Seethru

The cobblestone path took a turn into a small alleyway that was drenched in all darkness. A pair of black boots scratched along the surface as a figure dressed in dark robes made its way towards the darkness. It almost seemed to be swallowed into the shadows, the obsidian seemingly getting obscured by a void of blackness.

The figure made its way through this darkness with slow, cautious steps. Walking straight ahead through the narrow alleyway, it walked right up to the end of the alley where a brick wall barred the way. Pausing for a moment, it stared at the wall for a while before pulling out a polished wand from the depths of its robes and tapping it on the bricks in a precise, practiced manner. It appeared to be some secret code of some sort. 

It stopped after a while and waited as a brick wall disintegrated to reveal a doorway before stepping inside. The wall reemerging behind him as he stepped into a rustic looking foyer. The place was lit up by the tapers lining the walls. The figure inspected the surroundings before finally taking off the massive hood to reveal a pale-faced man with a gaunt look on his face. If it wasn't for that expression he might have been considered handsome with his bright piercing eyes and that strong jaw.

"You're here." A voice broke through the silence as a man stepped in from one of the halls that lead into the foyer.

The man had a teasing smile on his face, something that seemed to be part of his appearance. The bright purple robes glittering with the light that reflected off of them. He made his way over to the man in black and pulled him into a hug, "I'm glad you came, Jongdae." He whispered right into his ear, his breath tickling the other's skin.

Jongdae couldn't help but shiver at the intimacy. For the hundredth time, his brain was warning him against what he was about to do. But with Baekhyun's anticipating eyes and his hand on his shoulder beckoning him further into the house, he could only do so much not to follow.

…

The weather on that particular day as Jongdae walked across the street and made his way to the nondescript phone booth. Beams of sun parted through the cloudy sky as his cloak flapped behind him with every step while onlookers eyed his clothes with strange looks. Stepping inside the small boxed confinement, he dialed a series of code before he was whizzed away into the depths of the ground.

He landed with a sudden thud as his feet met solid ground before he straightened his clothes and made his way towards the swarm of people. The Ministry of Magic. He sighed as he took the place in. It was all dark marble decked in gold decorations giving it both an eerie yet elegant feel. After years of studying and training, he finally got accepted as a junior Auror in the place he had hoped to work at for so long.

Working for the ministry wasn't just about the pay or the extra benefits that came with it. No, it was much more than that at least for Jongdae. For him it was the ultimate pat on the back telling him that you've managed to get what others may spend their entire lives working for. A stable job, a secure future, and what could be a lifetime of glory. All at the age of twenty-one. He couldn't help feel a little proud of himself.

An owl fluttering past him broke his reverie and brought him back to reality. Right, he needs to report to the Head Auror as soon as possible unless he wants to be late for his first day of work.

The elevators were a mess to figure out. The building structure was a maze of different departments that puzzled him to no end. And the loud ruckus of the people made his head buzz but somehow Jongdae made it to the office of the Head Auror in time. He knocked on their politely before a strained voice from inside asked him to come in.

As he stepped inside he noticed that his new boss wasn't alone. Behind the desk sat an old gnarly man who looked to be in this eighties or maybe more (you never know with wizards) and right in front of him, on the opposite side of the desk stood someone clad in dark blue robes similar to Jongdae's which he had earlier recognised as something that most junior Aurors wore.

"Kim Jongdae. Come in." The old man greeted him. Auror Yoon as he remembered from the acceptance letter he'd received. "I was just briefing young Baekhyun here about the basics."

Jongdae walked over to stand next to the other, turning his head towards him with a polite smile at him only to notice that he was firmly looking away from him. His gaze was set on Auror Jun even as the man introduced Jongdae to him. His back straight and his shoulders even with his hands clasped behind his back as he listened with intent attention but never turning to look at him. Jongdae tried not to pay too much mind to that. 

Once the Head Auror was done with them they were handed over to Auror Park who took them through the department where they passed several offices and open spaces with dozens of cubicles. The place looked busy with work as paper memos fluttered about and staff went about their work. They were shown to a small room with two desks each equipped with an ancient-looking desktop computer. 

"We're trying to keep up with all this muggle technology with this," Park said, gesturing to the computers, his face lacking any excitement. He left them a pile of paperwork each telling them to sort them out on a spreadsheet without any further instructions.

Jongdae sighed as he took a seat. The room was really small and with the two desks stuffed inside, there was barely enough space to move around. Baekhyun was still awkwardly standing in front of his desk, staring at the computer. It was a pretty outdated model but Jongdae figured they had to get something simple enough that could enchant and make it work in a place so saturated with magic as the ministry. 

Jongdae had grown up in an all muggle family, not knowing of his magical abilities until he turned eleven which made him more than equipped with handling muggle technology. Baekhyun, on the other hand, did not look very comfortable with his computer. He cluelessly tried hitting random buttons on the keyboard before taking his wand out and that's when Jongdae jumped up, "Woah woah! Wait!" He tried shielding the computer screen with his body, "You cannot use your wand for this!" 

The other gave him a confused look before he continued, "It's muggle technology for a reason. There's no need for magic." He slowly demonstrated by moving the cursor across the screen and opening up the spreadsheet programme. "See?"

He saw Baekhyun frown at him, "This is stupid." He said as he glowered but he still gave it a try by moving the cursor around and clicking things at random. That was the first thing he had said to him directly. Jongdae could feel that they were already making progress. 

He pulled his chair next to Baekhyun's as he went over some other instructions with the other. It took another half an hour and a whole lot of groaning on Baekhyun's part for him to finally figure out the system and start entering data.

They didn't speak much after that. Only Jongdae jumping in to help whenever it looked like Baekhyun was lost. The other repaying him only in glares and grunts. Well, so much for progress. Jongdae thought. But at least both of them had gotten into a smooth stream of work.

Over the next few days, Jongdae had warmed up to some of the other colleagues in his department. A few of them showing him around the office, making him feel comfortable with the work environment. Baekhyun had gotten considerably more conversational too. Although he did like to keep to himself most of the time. Jongdae didn't mind. He figured that they would get closer one they got the chance.

Jongdae was heading out to get some coffee when Junmyeon called him over. The older had been the nicest to him out of everyone. His soft reassuring smile always calmed him down. 

"Hey, Jongdae, we're going to get drinks after work. You wanna come along?"

"Of course." He would love an opportunity to bond with everyone outside of the workplace. He'd felt awfully lonely when he'd moved to Seoul for this job but he could feel that changing soon. He made some more conversation with Junmyeon before he started to walk away from him but then suddenly stopped, "Hey, you won't mind if I ask Baekhyun too, would you?" 

He'd seen the other sulk all alone in the office when the rest of the staff would be socialising in their break. He never mentioned any friends either in the few conversations they'd had. Jongdae figured maybe he could use some company. 

He saw a flash of grimace pass over Junmyeon's face before he smiled, "If he agrees then he's always welcome to come along."

Jongdae could understand the doubt the other had. Baekhyun had never really made the effort to get close to anyone in the office. Always keeping to himself and most of the time only talking when spoken to. But there was nothing wrong in inviting him right?

As Jongdae entered their tiny office with coffee in hand Baekhyun turned to look up at him and smiled. He had been doing an awful lot of that in the past couple of days making Jongdae's heart flutter each time but he didn't let it show. Instead, he headed straight for the other's desk and put his coffee in front of him before he said, "Hey, Baekhyun, Junmyeon and some of the others are going to get drinks after work and they invited us to come along. Do you want you to go?"

Baekhyun looked at him with a confused look. He looked surprised that they would even consider him, "I don't know…" He started and Jongdae could feel that he was about to refuse so he interrupted.

"C'mon we've been hanging out in this awful room for who knows how many weeks we deserve a break." He insisted.

Baekhyun's expression eased and he let out a subtle laugh, "Alright. If you say so." His dark eyes bright with glee as he looked at him. Jongdae couldn't help but replicate the expression. He looked so much younger when he showed genuine happiness in times like these. His eyes going soft and lips curling making him wish he could see Baekhyun more often in moments like this.

Three hours later when work ended Junmyeon came into their office, "You boys ready?" He said with an air of excitement. 

Jongdae nodded. Both Baekhyun and him had used spells to change into less formal robes. They were going out on a casual night out after all.

They joined the group that included a total of six people including them. The bar they ended up in was a dingy place by the name of Dragon's Beard. At this hour it was nearly full as more and more people poured in. Other than Baekhyun and Junmyeon Jongdae was only acquainted with Sooyoung out of the group.

"I'm Minseok." The man introduced himself to Jongdae and Baekhyun with a large gummy smile, "I'm Junmyeon's friend from Magical Law Enforcement and this here is my colleague, Jiwoo." He pointed towards the girl sitting next to him who waved at them.

They eased into a light conversation with each other after that. Jongdae hadn't had the chance to have a night out like this in a while so he let himself loose. Baekhyun seemed to have eased up too after some alcohol and after a couple shots he was having a banter with Minseok over Basilisk fang trade.

"Park Jaeyeon has been legalising all sorts of atrocities ever since he became Minister." Minseok huffed, putting his glass down, "This is why I don't trust men." 

Baekhyun paused, "You're a Lee Yerim supporter then I'm assuming." There was a slight edge in his voice. Jongdae had never been big on politics let alone wizard politics but he knew that the current Minister had been up to something fishy since the start of his tenure. He never would've assumed Baekhyun to be defensive about a man like that.

"She's the only one capable enough for the position." Sooyoung rolled her eyes, "But let's not discuss this here." She said as she sensed the beginning of an argument.

"Right." Junmyeon said, clapping his hands in finality before getting up, "I'll get us more drinks." He said as he moved towards the bar. 

On Jongdae's right, Baekhyun still sat a little uneasy but he let it go. He was still staring intently at his leftover drink, however. There was a strange line across his forehead. "Hey, you want me to get you something stronger?" Jongdae said. Maybe more alcohol would do well to distract him. They were here so they could relax after all not get into meaningless debates.

Baekhyun looked at him and his face softened, "Yeah that'd be nice. Thanks." He really looked grateful as he flashed a smile at him. Jongdae could've melted right there instead he hopped out of the booth towards the bar where Junmyeon was ordering.

"Two firewiskys for me and Baekhyun," Jongdae interjected.

Junmyeon gave him an incredulous look, "You've already moved on to firewhisky?" He laughed when Jongdae just nodded. 

They got their drinks and moved back to their table to notice that it was just Baekhyun and Minseok sitting. "The girls left early." Minseok informed them as they sat down.

Jongdae handed Baekhyun his firewhisky. He saw the other look at it with curious eyes before slowly taking careful sips. "This is good. Strong." He nodded at Jongdae.

"What? You've never had firewhisky before?" Jongdae looked at him, surprised, "I had my first one when I was a seventh year at Mahoutokoro."

"Baekhyun didn't go to school in Japan like most of us, right?" Junmyeon said. He worded his sentence as a question but Jongdae could sense that he knew what he said to be true. Mahoutokoro was a big school. If Baekhyun had gone there it would've been completely possible for them to never have crossed paths. Jongdae had assumed that most East Asian wizards went there but of course, there were other wizarding schools out there too.

"Yeah." Baekhyun said with a straight face, "I went to school in North Europe." Jongdae knew before he said it, "Durmstrang."

There was silence on the table as everyone contemplated what to say. It had been twenty years since the second wizarding war and Durmstrang had been notorious for producing a great many death eaters. There were rumours that the school taught dark arts as part of its curriculum.

It was Baekhyun who broke the silence with a short laugh, "Clearly they didn't have stuff like this there." He surveyed the glass of firewhisky.

"You need to be educated in all the good alcohol the East has to offer," Minseok said, laughing as he drowned his beer. 

Just like that, they eased back into conversation that steered towards them teasing each other. Time passed as if the sudden halt had never happened. Minseok and Junmyeon, as it turned out, had been friends since school and their ambitions had led them to work for the Ministry. Both of them shared a love for dad jokes. Jongdae and Baekhyun cringed at the onslaught of lame jokes in their conversation.

"No more!" Baekhyun said, his words slurred a little as he put his head down on the table next to his empty glass. His face flushed red and his mouth curled into a soft pout, his cheeks puffed out. Jongdae couldn't help but notice how endearing he looked. If only he got to see him like this more often.

"Fine." Junmyeon laughed, "I was about to leave anyway." He said, getting up.

As Junmyeon bid them goodbye and disappeared in the fireplace, Minseok got up too, "I guess I should leave too." 

"We should do this another time," Jongdae said, waving him goodbye.

"We should." Minseok smiled back, "And Jongdae. Make sure he gets back okay." He pointed to Baekhyun who looked like he was about to pass out on the table.

Jongdae nodded before Minseok disappeared in the fire. He nudged at Baekhyun a little to wake him up but he was already half passed out and wouldn't move.

"Baekhyun." He shook him by his shoulder, "Oh hell." Jongdae physically maneuvered the other away from the table then threw one of his arms around his own shoulders so he could get him to stand up.

Baekhyun groaned as he was dragged by Jongdae, his head lazily falling into the nook of Jongdae's neck. From this close, he could smell the dark cologne that he wore. His breath tickled Jongdae's sensitive skin as he let out soft puffs of air. Jongdae felt himself flush when he felt Baekhyun's lips lightly brush his neck.

He shook his head. There were other matters at hand. Like the fact that Baekhyun wasn't in any state to floo or apparate. Nor did Jongdae know where he lived to drop him off and Baekhyun sure wasn't in the state of mind to tell him his address. 

Jongdae dragged them both out of the street, slowly making his way down. He paused when he noticed that they were entering a Muggle neighbourhood. It was almost midnight so there was no one in sight. It was safe to walk in wizard robes then with his wand out. Although Jongdae had done that several times before without caring about the consequences.

"Hungry," Baekhyun spoke up after a look time, his voice rattling right under Jongdae's left ear, soft breath against his bare skin that startled him a little.

"You woke up?" Jongdae cranes his neck as much as he could to look at Baekhyun who was still firmly clinging onto Jongdae, letting him drag him along. 

"Jongdae~" Baekhyun pouted, "I'm hungry." He whined at him, further clinging to him. His brows knitted together as his arched lips puffed up and jutted out.

How could Jongdae possibly resist that face?

He managed to spot a twenty-four-hour fast food restaurant open. There were a few cars and some pedestrians on the main road where the restaurant was. Jongdae did a quick spell to change their clothes into Muggle clothes before they turned on the main road and headed for the restaurant.

The place was pretty deserted save for a few teenagers out for a late-night snack. Jongdae ordered them a couple burgers and found them a table by the corner.

"What is this?" Baekhyun eyed the food weirdly, picking up the separate pieces apart. 

Jongdae slapped his hand away, "It's food." He picked his own burger up to demonstrate how to eat it. He saw Baekhyun slowly mimicking him and taking a bite out of his own burger. The expression on his face changed slowly from a look of confusion to sudden delight.

Jongdae watched him as he chewed slowly, savouring each bite, "It's not bad." He mumbled while eating. He looked so endearing with his carefree attitude. Jongdae wondered how many other sides were there to Byun Baekhyun that he had yet to see.

"You like it?" Jongdae asked, reaching up to wipe the sauce that Baekhyun had gotten on his face before realising what he was doing. His hand froze against his cheek. Baekhyun, too, stilled as he stared at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry." He said, retracting his hand. He saw Baekhyun reach up where his hand touched his face. His face still had a surprised expression. Jongdae tried not to meet his eyes as he busied himself with his own food.

They didn't talk much after that. Once he was done eating, Baekhyun looked sober enough to apparate once they were out and away from the eyes of onlookers. After making sure that the other had safely separated, he got his own wand out and with the flick of a wrist, he too disappeared into thin air.

…

Monday morning didn't come fast enough. The entire weekend, Jongdae couldn't help but think of the events of Friday night. Particularly the ones relating to a certain blonde wizard. Jongdae could only hope that the other didn't remember much from that night as he walked into his office that morning.

Baekhyun was already there, meticulously working on writing a letter obscured from Jongdae's field of vision. When the sound of the door clicking entered his ears as Jongdae walked in, he looked up startled. His blonde hair spilled all over and he was almost sprawled all over his desk.

"Morning," Jongdae said with an amused laugh at the look on the other's face.

"Oh Jongdae," Baekhyun's expression eased, "Have a good weekend?"

Baekhyun starting a conversation? That's a first. Jongdae took his seat, "I did." He replied. The other nodded. He looked a lot more cheerful that day. A lot more open to talk so Jongdae asked him about his own weekend.

Turned out that Baekhyun didn't have much to do since he didn't have a lot of friends in Korea. His father had passed away a year ago. This was something Jongdae already knew. Baekhyun's father worked closely with the department of mysteries and his presence in the ministry was strong. Although Baekhyun never mentioned a mother.

"We should hang out sometime." Jongdae offered, "Since neither of us have many friends here, we could do something together on the weekend." He scratched his head nervously. He didn't want to sound so forward but he felt like it would be nice to hang out with Baekhyun outside of work.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Baekhyun smiled at him, his small lip mole radiant from where Jongdae sat. 

"Great! I can show you around the muggle world too." Jongdae smiled back at him.

"Oh wait." Baekhyun accio'ed a small bag and got up to give it to him. Jongdae recognised the contents as his clothes from Friday night when he had changed them into Muggle clothes. "I almost forgot to give these back."

"Oh, you can keep them if you want. It's okay." Jongdae dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Baekhyun looked a little hesitant at first but then put it away. They settled into a comfortable silence after that as memos from their colleagues fluttered in bringing them messages about the work to be done and they busied themselves with that.

"Jongdae, Baekhyun." Junmyeon came to visit him sometime in the afternoon. "You wanna get lunch together?" he said.

"I don't know. We have a lot of work to do." Jongdae answered, exchanging a look with Baekhyun.

"We'll join you some other time," Bakhyun said.

Junmyeon wouldn't have any of it. "You can do this later." He pulled out his wand and used a spell to shut down their computer screens. "Come on now."

"Hey, I was working!" Baekhyun complained as he was pulled out of his seat by the sheer force that Junmyeon exerted.

"Ow!" Jongdae let out an exclamation as he too was dragged by the senior.

The elevator rustled when they stepped inside before zipping in a sideways direction almost knocking them off their feet. Junmyeon pressed a button from where he stood near the door.

"You haven't been to the cafeteria yet, have you?" He posed the question at both of them. They shook their heads in unison at that. "Well, I think you're gonna like it."

The elevator stopped several times to let more people on before they finally reached their destination. The metal doors slid open to reveal a giant hall that was built like an ancient-looking greenhouse with brick walls covered in creepers. There were giant windows set on two opposite sides of the hall that spilled in light. It was probably one of those parts of the Ministry that was built above ground.

The hall was lined with wooden tables where workers sat and had their lunch together. Along the windows, there were higher tables with stools for those who sat by themselves. The environment looked so serene as food magically appeared on people's tables instead of having to line up for it.

"Hey." They heard a familiar voice which when they followed led them to find Minseok who was sitting on one of the bigger tables, "What took you guys so long?"

"The elevator." Junmyeon sighed as he sat down next to his friend. "Please tell me you ordered something."

"I did." Minseok said, nodding, "It should be here any moment."

Jongdae sat down next to Baekhyun as the four of them made small talk. The cafeteria was buzzing with light chatter as floating menus cards passed by them on which people would write their orders. A few years ago that job would've been for house-elves but after the law on the protection of the rights of Magical creatures was passed, it had become illegal to use house-elves for unpaid menial work. There were probably some house-elves working in the kitchen but all of them were paid at least a minimum wage by the ministry.

Sometime during their conversation, their food arrived. Platters of mains and little cadies with side dishes appeared in front of them from thin air. Jongdae starred in fascination at all that Minseok had ordered. There were bowls of Jajangmyeon, Bibimbap, and a variety of Tteokbokki. Other than that there were several types of Kimchi and Dongchimi as sides.

Jongdae took a sip of the soda in front of him before choosing a bowl of Jajangmyeon. The noodles tasted so much better than any variation he'd ever had. The others were digging in too. Their table had fallen silent now that there was food in front of everyone. They occasionally reached over each other with their chopsticks to get a bit of certain side dishes.

Baekhyun was eating a bowl of bibimbap when he saw Jongdae looking at him and he offered him, "You want some?" He prepared him a spoonful before Jongdae could answer and offered it in front of him.

Jongdae reached over to eat directly from the spoon that Baekhyun was holding. He blushed when he realised how intimate the act of Baekhyun feeding him was.

"It's good." He said, fending off any useless thoughts. The food was in fact really nice. He never thought that a bowl of rice could be made to taste that good. "You want some of this?" Jongdae pointed towards his own bowl of black noodles.

Baekhyun nodded with a cute almost puppy-like smile. He leaned forward as Jongdae offered him some noodles wrapped around his chopsticks. Jongdae tried not to think too much about the fact that they were using the same utensils. Jongdae looked up to see Minseok looking at the two of them then subtly making a gesture as if to ask  
Jongdae blushed and tried to dismiss him with a shrug.

Their break ended far too quickly and they had to say goodbye to the cafeteria and head back to their dull office again. Jongdae did return to it in the following days, sometimes with Baekhyun and Junmyeon, sometimes on his own. It was a nice place to let out the steam of the work and lose himself in the quiet murmur of the hall among the dangling creepers.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Baekhyun said as they were finishing work. Somehow they had finalised their plans to meet up on the weekend. Jongdae had casually invited the other over and was surprised when he actually agreed.

He would be lying if he said that he wasn't anticipating Baekhyun's arrival all morning on Saturday. Jongdae lived in a Muggle neighbourhood located in central London. Since he couldn't apparate directly to the Ministry, he found it better to find housing someplace closest to it.

He didn't know if Baekhyun would be comfortable, considering he'd had limited contact with Muggles. Just as he was wondering this he heard a faint knock from his front door. Hurrying to the door, Jongdae opened to the door to reveal the very person he was just thinking about standing behind it.

"Hey," Baekhyun said timidly as he stood in the hallway. He wore the same blue t-shirt and jeans that Jongdae had given him earlier. Jongdae tried to not linger too much on how his shirt sat just a little tight on Baekhyun making his chest bulge.

He stepped aside to let him in, "Hey." He stepped in after Baekhyun, "Do you want something?" The other shook his head. "I'll just get my keys and then we can leave. Feel free to look around." Jongdae disappeared into his room

And look around Baekhyun did. He stared in fascination at the TV screen in the living room, then at the static framed pictures on the side tables. His gaze shifted from one object to another. Jongdae chuckled to himself when he saw him peering curiously at the fridge that stood in the corner of the open kitchen.

"I'll tell you how it works once we get, okay?" Jongdae said, beckoning Baekhyun out of the apartment.

"We're not going to apparate?" Baekhyun asked as Jongdae led him to the elevator. While Jongdae may have proofed his own apartment with an anti apparition spell, the building still allowed transportation magic without any restrictions. That was probably how Baekhyun had arrived.

"We can't really appear out of nowhere in front of Muggles, can we?" Jongdae said, stepping into the elevator.

They made their way to the bus station making small talk. The weather in Seoul was surprisingly good that day for mid-October. The weekend bus wasn't as crowded and Jongdae was thankful when they found enough room for themselves. The ride was peaceful and soon they were in the middle of the biggest shopping centre in the city.

Baekhyun stared in awe at the flashy billboards that lined the buildings. It was still a few hours before sunset and even without the usual night crowd, the area was still pretty crowded. "C'mon." Jongdae dragged him along to one particular building that stood out from the rest.

"This is huge," Baekhyun whispered out loud as they stepped into the mall. From where they stood they could see the vastness of the place.

Jongdae pulled him towards the elevator, their hands still very much clasped as they found their way all the way up to the top floor. Baekhyun's eyes darted from one object to another and he occasionally inquired about one thing or another. Jongdae tried his best to answer each one of his inquiries.

"Here we are." Jongdae stopped as they stood in front of a fluorescent entrance.

"Laser tag?" Baekhyun read the words spelled out in bright bold letters, looking genuinely confused.

"It's really fun. You'll figure it out in no time." With that, he ushered him inside.

When the game started Jongdae realised that their opponents were a bunch of preteens. Baekhyun, to his credit, did learn the mechanics of the game pretty quickly although he did cause both of them to lose in no time by shooting Jongdae while aiming for a kid and then letting himself be shot at by another.

Baekhyun pretended to fall overdramatically, bringing Jongdae down with him. Jongdae fell into a fit, out of laughter, still being crushed by Baekhyun's weight, "You don't have to do that you know." He said, laughing. The kids around them seemed amused by Baekhyun's antics too.

"Alright, payback time," Baekhyun said as he stood up and the next game started. This time he was much faster. His aim became much more accurate. Jongdae forgot how much of a fast learner the other could be. He sprinted through the course, sneaking up on his opponents from behind obstacles and taking them down. Even though they had been outnumbered two to five at the beginning, by the time half the game was over four of them had been taken down. Baekhyun distracted the last one as Jongdae snuck up on him and got the winning shot.

"Good going!" Jongdae came up to high five Baekhyun who had the biggest grin that he'd ever seen on his face. The joy on his face was so contagious that without thinking Jongdae went in for a hug. He stilled when he realised what he did but then eased when Baekhyun reciprocated the hug.

The kids asked for a tiebreaker but by that time both of them were too knackered to continue. So they headed out instead. "I'm hungry." Jongdae groaned as soon as they stepped outside.

The top floor had the food court and the different smells of all different kinds of food wafted towards them. "Let's eat then," Baekhyun said, taking charge and heading towards a sandwich shop that actually looked pretty good.

"I'll do it." Jongdae said, once they'd decided and were ready to order, "You can go find us a place to sit."

Baekhyun frowned, "But I want to pay." He produced a fistful of Muggle money. "You paid for the laser tag thing too."

"No, it's okay. Besides, I brought you here, anyway. Also, do you even know how Muggle money works?" Jongdae tried to reason.

Baekhyun wouldn't have any of it, "It's got numbers on top of it. How hard can it be?" He ended up sending Jongdae off to find them a table and stood in the line himself.

It took awfully long to find a decent table for the two of them in the busy food court but after minutes of searching Jongdae finally managed to find one. He didn't have to wait that long before Baekhyun showed up with their food.

They savored every bite of their meal, even the cookie that Baekhyun had bought as an extra while making light conversation in between. They were buzzing with energy and their conversation left no secret of that. Both of them spoke in high voices matching their equally loud surroundings as their eyes shined bright with joy. To an outsider, it may seem that they'd known each other for a lifetime. That's how the rest of the day passed, with them talking intimately and exploring the city together.

…

"What's that?" Baekhyun pointed towards the zombie that appeared on the tv screen. Jongdae explained the concept of zombies to the other the best he could while chewing on his ramen. Hanging out on weekends had somehow become a regular thing for them. For the past four weeks, they had consistently been meeting up at Jongdae's place to hang out.

This time Jongdae thought they should take a break and stay at home instead. Baekhyun had grown much more comfortable with the Muggle world by now, even going as far as buying himself quite a few outfits on their last outing. He'd experienced quite a lot and seemed to enjoy indulging in whatever activity Jongdae had planned for them for the day. Staying home and bringing movies was very much an activity. Jongdae had reasoned and thankfully Baekhyun hadn't argued.

So they sat on Jongdae's loveseat with blankets covering their legs, surrounded by snacks that they'd emptied during their binging. Jongdae could feel Baekhyun's eyes grow heavy sometime during their fourth movie. It had gotten pretty late. Much later than Baekhyun had stayed on any other weeks. They'd had a pretty busy week too; he must be tired.

With a thud, Baekhyun's head fell right on top of Jongdae's shoulder. He had fully fallen asleep by then. His mouth kept out small puffs of breath, pouting in the most endearing way. Jongdae slowly turned the tv off before slinging an arm underneath Baekhyun and maneuvering him up. He couldn't exactly go back home now and Jongdae could really let him sleep like that. So he helped him to his room, the only room he had in his small apartment.

Baekhyun was just a little taller than Jongdae himself but he was much bigger in build so moving him around proved to be much more challenging than he anticipated. He slowly moved him near the bed before letting him fall back on the pillows. Jongdae moved his dangling legs so that they lay properly on the bed.

He huffed when he was finally done. With the flick of his wand, he successfully got the other's shoes off and made the blanket encase him properly. He briefly considered changing the other into his spare pyjamas before he decided against it, considering that the other would probably do just fine for the night regardless.

Before leaving the room, he threw a quick glance back at the sleeping figure. Baekhyun lay comfortably among his multiple pillows with a serene expression on his. His lips curved up in a soft smile, the planes of his cheeks catching the subtle moonlight that filtered in from the gaps between the curtains. It wouldn't be the first time that Jongdae had a strong urge to kiss that pretty face.

Dismissing the thought as soon as it came, Jongdae headed out and shut the door behind him before he leaned against it, holding his chest. He had to control his quickening heartbeat along with all those unwanted feelings that were developing. It wouldn't do well to dwell too much on them.

Morning came far too quickly for Jongdae's liking especially when he spent a good part of the night tossing and turning on his couch in the living room. He had barely slept a wink when the sun woke him up again making him grudgingly get out of his makeshift bed. It wasn't just the uncomfortable couch that made it hard to sleep but Jongdae wasn't ready to think about the other reason yet.

He washed up before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He left one pan to prepare the eggs while the other made pancakes. Two different spatulas moving on their own with a quick word from his mouth. He himself busied himself with the coffee. He had lost himself in work and almost didn't notice when Baekhyun came tottering in.

His hair stood up in all directions and his face still showed signs of tiredness. He had tried to wash up, Jongdae could tell. "Coffee?" He offered when the other sat down at the table behind him.

He mumbled a reply which Jongdae could only assume as a yes. So, he poured him some out in a cup. Baekhyun's eyes followed his every move, making Jongdae all the more alert of what he was doing. He could feel the gaze on him even as he turned his back to him after giving him his coffee. 

It felt a little awkward. They had never spent a morning like this together before. When breakfast was ready they chose to dig in silently, avoiding any sort of conversation.

The silence was only broken when Baekhyun cleared his throat after he was done. He set his fork down before looking up, "Thank you for letting me stay the night… and for this." He gestured towards the now gone breakfast.

"You don't need to thank me," Jongdae said, dismissing him as he laughed lightly. He realised how silly this was, acting so awkward with Baekhyun. They had gotten much closer to not worry about trivial things like that anymore.

Baekhyun must've realised that too as he let out a laugh too. "So, did I fall asleep during the best part?" He said, in an attempt to lighten the conversation. 

"You did." Jongdae said, his grin growing into a teasing smile, "And now I can spoil the rest of the movie for you." He leaned over the table with a conniving smile.

Baekhyun jumped up from his seat, pulling his wand out, "Kim Jongdae, I swear if you even so much as try I'll hex you."

Jongdae starts anyway, "The main character---" He's cut off with a silencing spell making him speechless quite literally.

Baekhyun laughed as Jongdae glared at him before fumbling his wand which Baekhyun quickly grabbed and sprinted out to the living room. Jongdae ran after him and tackled him to the ground in an attempt to get his wand back. Baekhyun tickled him in retaliation, switching their positions when Jongdae got caught in a fit of laughter.

He stared at him as Jongdae got his composure back. He was looking intently at him now. His expression, replaced with a serious look as their eyes met. Jongdae suddenly realised the close proximity of their faces. Baekhyun didn't do much to put any distance between them, instead his eyes traced a path down his face until his gaze landed on his lips. Jongdae could see the hunger in his eyes as he not so subtly bit his own lip. 

Jongdae could feel the blood rush to his face as all his senses heightened. He didn't realise which one of them did it first but soon they had closed the gap and their lips met in between. Baekhyun's hand came up to rest in the nape of his neck. Jongdae could finally taste the softness of his lips against his own. It was better than anything he would have imagined. Baekhyun left soft butterfly kisses against the crease of his mouth tracing the curves of his lips before his tongue experimentally caressed his lips.

Jongdae moaned at the sensation instantly letting the other in. Letting him kiss through his mouth and letting him take all that he wanted. He let out sound sounds as he felt their tongues meet in the middle. Baekhyun kept his hold on the side of his face, his thumb slowly tracing out circles on his cheeks as he did.

"Baekhyun," Jongdae said breathlessly. His eyes wide open as he stared at the other when they separated after what felt like an eternity.

"I've been wanting to do that for so long." Baekhyun grinned at him lazily. His lips looked puffed up after the kiss and he stared at Jongdae with the softest look.

Jongdae smiled before closing the distance once again for a short peck, "Me too." He said against Baekhyun's lips, letting his words out in short puffs of breath against his mouth.

Soon, they were kissing again. Jongdae lost count how many times and how many places in which they kissed that day. They moved from the floor to the couch to Jongdae's bed to even the kitchen at some point. Both of them shared this sense of this desperate want that nothing but being in each other's arms could sate.

"How are you so pretty?" Baekhyun tucked a strand of Jongdae's hair behind his ear as he spoke softly. Jongdae smiled from where he had his head on Baekhyun's chest, taking in the warmth and the light strumming of his heartbeat.

"You know, I couldn't talk to you properly for the first few days that we started working together because I was afraid of messing up in front of you." Baekhyun continued. 

"Really? I thought you hated me."

"No. It was the opposite." Baekhyun said with a breath of a laugh. "You'd sit there with that pretty smile of yours and I'd forget how to talk."

It was Jongdae's turn to laugh, "I wish I knew sooner. It would be fun to tease you." He grinned before he paused and looked up, "Also I'd get to do this much sooner." He swooped in for yet another kiss.

…

Work had become much better for both of them and they indulged in each other whenever they found the time. Jongdae felt high with the bliss of their new relationship every time he saw Baekhyun. The other seemed to reciprocate when he found opportunities for them to sneak in a kiss or two during work. And opportunities they found quite a lot of given that they mostly worked together in the privacy of their shared office.

"Stop," Jongdae said as he smacked away Baekhyun's sneaky hand from his butt when he walked over to his side to get to the door. Despite his words, he smiles at Baekhyun's antics. He'd been smiling a lot more than usual these days; his smile often accompanied with a tinge of blush on his cheeks.

It must have been noticeable to others in the office too as they looked at him suspiciously. Junmyeon was the one who cornered him that day near the coffee machine. "So, Jongdae, you haven't been around for lunch lately." He started off.

"Oh… I---" Jongdae's face flushed as he thought of what they'd been doing in their office during lunchtime for the past few days, "I've just been busy with work." He answered briefly.

"Hmmm, I suppose." Junmyeon shrugged it off as if he didn't really believe him but let it pass, his tone got serious instead "Listen, I know it's none of my business but you've been hanging out with Baekhyun quite a lot recently---"

"And why's that a problem?" Jongdae frowned, he didn't like the condescending way that Junmueon said Baekhyun's name.

"I'm not saying that he's a bad person. It's just that with the rumours surrounding his family. Particularly his father…" Junmyeon left off. The rumours about the Byun family being involved with the dark arts were still rampant even after the death of Byun Junhe, Baekhyun's father. Jongdae had never thought much of them before and that wasn't going to change now, no matter how much Junmyeon insisted. He made sure to let the other know exactly that.

His mood had already turned sour so he abandoned his coffee and made to leave. "Be careful around him, Jongdae. I don't want someone like you getting in trouble because of him." Junmyeon's voice echoed from behind him. 

Jongdae knew he could trust his judgement well enough and he wasn't going to let everyone around him ruin what he and Baekhyun had. "Thanks for looking out for me and all but I'm sure I'll be able to take care of myself." Jongdae turned and snapped in annoyance before leaving.

…

It was a late December night when Jongdae stood dressed in his finest dress robes. The emerald green seemed to glow against his skin. He had made the effort to do his hair properly and even worn ear cuffs to add just a little glamour to his look.

He was standing in front of his closet, contemplating whether to wear different shoes when a sharp knock on the front door caught his attention. He hurried and opened the door standing behind which was a sleek looking Baekhyun. He was wearing dark dress robes and his dyed blonde hair slicked back. He had never looked more posh especially with those diamond-studded rings he now wore on his fingers as he beckoned Jongdae out.

"Come on." He held out his arm and Jongdae clung on to it, fingers sliding over the soft material of his robes. With a quick murmur of a spell, they apparated into thin air.

When they reappeared, the scenery had changed completely. They were standing outside what looked like a gigantic mansion of a house. Its massive wrought iron gates were bared to all outsiders, caging the house and its residents inside. Cold winter air penetrated through their thin robes making them shiver with cold.

Baekhyun asked Jongdae to step back before he waved his waved in an intricate pattern with a concentrated look on his face. As soon as he was done the iron gates gave a noisy sound before slowly opening up and giving them entrance. They walked straight inside hearing the gates shut again right behind them with another noisy creek.

The pathway they walked on was unlit and the moonlight was their only source of light as they made their way across it. On both sides of the pathway were huge hedges that probably led to huge gardens, however, it was hard to confirm that without seeing. They reached the main door of the house after a few minutes of walk. It was just as dark there as it was everywhere else. They entered a large hallway upon opening the main door where they found their first signs of light.

"Welcome to Lee Manor." A slight voice greeted them. When they turned to look, it was a small house elf dressed in a grey tunic-like outfit. Its skin was just as grey as its outfit and it looked extremely underfed. Jongdae's stomach churned at the thought of how the poor creature must get treated. 

"If you follow me, misters, I'll show you to the main hall." The house-elf said in that same faint voice as it turned down the hallway, leading them. They took some turns but it wasn't long before they finally got the hall that they were supposed to go to.

"Thank you," Jongdae whispered to the house-elf who just stared back in horror before Baekhyun's hand tugged at his waist, pulling him inside along with him.

They entered the hall which turned out to be a high ceiling room that was decked in gold decorations and crystal ornaments with a huge chandelier placed right in the middle which lit up the entire room in a beautiful golden glow. Pairs of people danced in the middle of the room to the slow music played by the band in one corner of the room.

A smattering of other people huddled together in groups as house-elves made their way through the room, bringing them food and drinks. When Baekhyun had talked about a Christmas ball, this was not how Jongdae had imagined. Every single person in the room looked expensive and posh, both with the way they were dressed and the way they acted. The Byuns were connected to some of the most influential wizards in the country so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to him.

Still, Jongdae couldn't hold back his surprise when a stoic man with a short stocky beard walked over to them and held out his hand, greeting Baekhyun. "I'm glad you made it, Byun." It was the current foreign minister for Ireland, Lee Kijun. Jongdae could recognise the man anywhere considering how much he'd been in the wizard newspapers after the Dragon escape fiasco in Ireland last year. He had the same sleazy smile that he had in the papers.

"Of course. It would be rude to refuse my father's old friends." Baekhyun said with a poised voice. The way he took his time to say each with ease made him sound like all the other elites in the room. And maybe he really was one of them too. It was just one of the things Jongdae had never realised about him.

"It's a shame really what happened to your father." The foreign minister continued, "I'm sorry I couldn't offer my condolences in person earlier." The man paused before turning to Jongdae with an odd expression on his face. "Who would this gentleman be?" He still posed the question at Baekhyun even though he was looking at Jongdae.

"This Kim Jongdae," Baekhyun replied, not offering any more explanation.

"Oh!" The man's face lit up, "Is your family perhaps related to the Kims from Kim's Apothecary?"

"No." It was Jongdae who replied, "My family isn't in the wizarding business." He didn't say that he was a Muggleborn but the meaning was clear enough.

"He's… a friend." Baekhyun said after a thought. Jongdae realised that the hand he had around his waist had disappeared. Maybe he didn't want to talk about their relationship to other people and Jongdae was okay with that but it still felt a little odd being introduced as just a friend.

They made some small talk with the foreign minister before he introduced them to more people and left them on their own. Baekhyun had this eloquent way of talking to everyone even if it was his first time meeting most of them. His quick-witted humor and charming smiles added to his likeable personality. Jongdae stayed by his side at all times, watching him interact although not really adding much to the conversation himself since he didn't know much about the subjects that they were talking about.

When the last of the people around them left Baekhyun finally turned to him, his arm suddenly going back to Jongdae's waist as he urged him closer, "I'm sorry. This must be really boring for you." He looked at Jongdae with an apologetic to look, handing him a drink.

"It's not too bad." Jongdae shrugged. It was a new experience for him, meeting the wizard elite. He didn't particularly enjoy it but he wasn't about to tell Baekhyun that.

"You're too nice, Jongdae. Did I ever tell you that?" Baekhyun said, leaning closer and it looked like he was about to go for a kiss when he stopped and pulled back. He'd probably realised where they were belatedly so, instead he took Jongdae's hand and pulled him towards the dance floor. "Let's make this night worthwhile at least."

The song had long changed from the slow ballad music to an upbeat rhythmic type. There seemed to be more people on the dance floor, all of the dancing carelessly. The pairs from before had dissolved and everyone seemed to be dancing together to the rhythm. This was the kind of dance that Jongdae was more equipped to so he let himself loose.

He felt Baekhyun right behind him, his body close enough that Jongdae could feel the heat coming off of him along with the heady scent of his cologne. He felt arms snake around him as Baekhyun swung him around to face him. There was a look of pure excitement on his face that Jongdae had missed the entire night. He threw his hands around his neck and pulled him closer. Among throngs of people dancing around him, no one cared who they were and what they were up to. Even as Baekhyun leaned down to leave a soft kiss on his lips.

Jongdae felt a shock of thrill racing through his veins. The excitement of being able to kiss outside of the privacy of his house or their office caught onto him as he responded with a similar chaste kiss on Baekhyun's lips.

This time Baekhyun didn't let go, keeping their lips connected as the kiss turned more heated. The alcohol they'd been having earlier was catching on. He could feel one of Baekhyun's legs slowly sliding in between his own and subtly grinding. Jongdae let out a breathy moan. "Baekhyun." He said, as if to warn the other but it came out as yet another moan and Baekhyun's eyes turned to steel.

He leaned back and stared at Jongdae, "You want to get out of here?" He asked. His voice was husky and it sent shivers down Jongdae's spine.

Jongdae nodded, not trusting his voice enough to speak. They hurried out of the hall and into the cold night where Baekhyun leaned down for another kiss as he apparated them both together.

They ended up in a large, lavish room which Jongdae could only assume to be at Baekhyun's house but he wasn't given much to time to think about it as arms wrapped around him yet again, pulling him towards the bed. He was pushed back towards the head of the bed where the pillows cushioned his fall. Baekhyun followed him by climbing on and hovering over Jongdae before resuming their kiss.

Jongdae felt so vulnerable like this, laying under Baekhyun where he had his body caged between his arms as he left soft kisses all over his face. His leg found its way between his legs where his thigh grinder intently, making Jongdae moan out loud. Without the eyes of the public, he could be as loud as he wanted to be. 

Jongdae combed his hands through Baekhyun's hair as he descended down from his face to his neck, leaving soft kisses in his wake. He stopped when he found his Adam's apple, his tongue darting out for an experimental lick before his teeth grazed before he actually started sucking on it. Jongdae instantly felt a heat pool into his groin as he barged up to meet Baekhyun's thigh.

"Ahhh, Baekhyun." He let out.

Baekhyun took his time sliding his hands under his robes, delicate fingers tracing their path along his bare skin as he slowly took the garment off. "Have I told you how good you look with these." Baekhyun's lips traced his ears as his mouth met his ear cuffs. His words puffed out near his sensitive skin, leaving Jongdae hotter and harder with every move.

When he finally removed his robes, Jongdae shivered as the cold air met his skin. Baekhyun instantly leaned down to leave warm kisses against his bare chest, particularly making his way to his nipples that now stood up in need of attention. His warm mouth found a place over one of those pink nubs, leaving Jongdae to squirm at the sensitive sensations he felt while his fingers played with the other. 

Jongdae didn't realise what Baekhyun was doing with his other hand until he felt it slide past his thighs and his fingers nudged at his ass. A long index finger that was somehow covered in slick made its way towards the hole, opening it and helping it adjust before sliding in further. Jongdae shuddered when he felt the slow drag of the finger against his insides, leaving traces of slick behind. Soon, another finger joined in as they two slowly scissored his opening.

He let out a moan as Baekhyun moved his mouth from one nipple to another. The continued sensory sensations from both ends left his body on fire. He could feel Baekhyun opening him up with yet another finger as he slowly fucked his entrance.

Sometime later he finally pulled off, retrieving both his hand and his mouth as he sat up to take off his own robes. Pale flesh appeared in Jongdae's view as his clothes were slowly removed. Jongdae eyed his chest that stood out firmly and traced his path down where his eyes met a V shape where his hip bones jutted out and then down to where his dick stood half hard.

Without thinking, Jongdae's hands found their way to his dick taking hold of it and feeling its weight. He then slowly let his hands slide over it and then bringing them back, continuing the action until Baekhyun's eyes glazed over and he leaned down against him, his mouth letting out hot puffs of breath against Jongdae's sensitive neck.

Baekhyun stopped him once he was fully hard. His dick now curved up as he whispered a spell that formed a transparent barrier around its head. He opened up Jongdae's legs until they were spread wide before taking his place in between and adjusting his dick towards his entrance.

"Ready?" He looked him directly in the eyes before asking.

He nodded, his own dick was hard and aching by now. He couldn't wait to get in with it any longer. Thankfully, Baekhyun didn't make him wait as he slid in his dick in one powerful motion making Jongdae scream. His insides screamed with him at the torturous drag of the member inside him.

After a first few slow and experimental thrusts, Baekhyun picked up the pace, thrusting in hard and fast along Jongdae's walls. The slick from earlier made the thrusts much smoother but the pain was still there with each movement. Jongdae sucked in a breath when he felt a hand wrap around his own dick, pumping him to the same pace that Baekhyun was thrusting inside him with.

It wasn't long before he found his sensitive spot of nerves inside him, Baekhyun's dick hitting it straight on, making Jongdae let out a particularly loud moan. For the next few thrusts, Baekhyun made sure to hit that same spot over and over until Jongdae was caving into him and slowly spilling right into his hands. 

Baekhyun came soon afterwards as Jongdae's hole tightened around him, making him spill inside. Even through the barrier around Baekhyun's dick, Jongdae could feel the warmth of his come against his insides before he pulled out. Jongdae could hear Baekhyun murmur spells to clean up but sleep took over him and fell asleep almost immediately.

…

Light trickled in through the curtains, stirring him awake in the morning. Jongdae rolled around before he sat up. The space next to him on the bed where he knew Baekhyun had slept was empty. He frowned, looking around the room. It was a big room although the interior was relatively simplistic. Apart from the bed, there were two coffee chairs with a table in between, one of which had a night robe laid across its back.

The rest of the room was empty save for a lone mirror in one corner. Jongdae saw his reflection, only realising how he was completely naked. He blushed as he remembered the events of last night. He felt extremely self-conscious of his current bare form so he slid out of bed and grabbed the night robe from the back of the chair. His own robes from last night were nowhere in sight along with his wand.

The robes he wore now were delicate and almost sheer, not doing much to hide his naked body underneath. Jongdae tried his best to cover up by layering the fabric in front before heading out. He found Baekhyun in the hallway standing in front of a house-elf.

"Hey, you woke up," Baekhyun commented when he saw him. He looked fresh and already dressed up in immaculate robes. He rummaged through his pocket before producing Jongdae's wand from it, "Here. Fifi found your wand in your robes while washing them."

Jongdae accepted his wand, giving it an incredulous look. He remembered taking his wand out last night then how could they have ended up in his robes. He tried not to dwell on it too much but it bothered him just a little.

"I have a guest waiting for me so I need to go now. It won't take long. You can wash up and I'll meet you for breakfast." Baekhyun said with a smile. Jongdae could only nod in return as the other slid a hand down his back slowly patting him while his eyes lingered on his sheer robes before he turned away and left. 

Jongdae was ushered towards the bathroom by the house-elf who brought him a change of clothes and supplies he'd need. After a long shower, Jongdae got dressed and headed towards the dining room, being guided by Fifi, the house-elf. They entered a room with a long table which could probably host about twenty people at a time. One side of the table was laid with breakfast and as Jongdae sat down he noticed the numerous amounts of delicacies there were to eat.

He poured himself some juice and chose a plain toast to start off with. He was busy chewing at his toast when Baekhyun entered, giving him a smile before coming up to sit next to him.

"So, who was it?" He asked inquisitively. Je didn't mean to pry but the question came flying out of Jongdae's mouth before he could stop it.

Baekhyun looked at him with surprise at first before he eased, "Oh just some people from my father's business." He said as he reached over to get himself some food.

The Byuns had a fair share in the broomstick industry of the country. Other than the numerous side businesses it was the main source of income that was to credit for the family's wealth. "You're taking care of that too?" Jongdae asked. With how much time their Auror job consumed it would be near impossible to focus on anything else.

"Not really. I just sign the papers whenever it's needed. There are other capable people who can take care of it much better than me. For now, I've left everything up to them." Baekhyun shrugged.

Jongdae pursed his lips before nodding, "You're still doing a lot it seems."

"I guess. I just feel that my father wouldn't want me to abandon everything he worked so hard for just like that." Baekhyun said, solemnly.

Jongdae nodded. He talked about his own family and how, in some ways, he understood what Baekhyun meant with not wanting to let down his parents' expectations. The conservation lasted all through breakfast, both of them slowly unloading some of their deepest worries. Jongdae was glad that they could have conversations like these as well and lend each other an ear whenever needed.

The week that followed was fairly slow in terms of work. Since the Christmas holidays were about to start, there was not much new work, instead everyone was kind of just wrapping up the work they already had. The Auror department was buzzing with excitement on Friday after it was announced that all Ministry workers would get holidays starting that weekend.

Jongdae could hear people chattering about their Christmas plans as he passed through the corridor. He himself hadn't made any. He originally planned to visit his parents but his brother had invited them over to where he lived in Shanghai for Christmas. So, there wasn't much left for Jongdae to do.

He supposed he could ask Baekhyun if they could do something together. It was their first Christmas together after all. But when he entered the office Baekhyun was already getting up to leave.

"Hey, Jongdae, something just came up at the factory. I need to leave right now. Tell Jun that I'm done with my work here, will you?" He said getting up and walking past him, "By the way, I don't think I'll be able to make it this weekend. I'm sorry." He added before disappearing out the door, leaving Jongdae to stare.

It was the first weekend in the past couple of months that Jongdae had to spend on his own. With Baekhyun gone there wasn't really anyone he could spend time with. Junmyeon hadn't talked to him properly after the little spat they had. It might've been because of Jongdae giving him the cold shoulder for the first few days. He probably should've apologised for that. But he had been so caught up in his and Baekhyun's new relationship that he had put everything else on the sidelines.

He spent the next few days alone in his apartment, eating whatever he could find in his fridge and waiting for Baekhyun to reply to his letters. It was on Wednesday of the next week when a letter finally came. A large barn owl came fluttering into his room through his open window and dropped it into his lap.

Jongdae tried not to be disappointed with how brief it was. Baekhyun wanted to see him. He wrote a quick reply and sent it along with the barn owl.

He got up early to get ready the next day and as soon as he was done with breakfast he was out the door and apparated to Baekhyun's place. He was shown inside by Fifi and he waited in the living room. He was looking at the intricate sculptures on the mantle before he heard footsteps.

"Jongdae!" Baekhyun came over and enveloped him in a hug while he sneaked a soft peck against his cheek.

Jongdae's attention, however, was taken by the man that came up from behind Baekhyun. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim." The man said as they separated from their hug. "Young Baekhyun has told me a lot about you."

"This is Ahn Jaeyeon." Baekhyun said to Jongdae, "He works at the Department of Mysteries and a great friend of my father's."

Jongdae nodded as he greeted the man. He was still very confused. If Baekhyun wanted to see him then why had he invited this man as well? And why did it feel like the entire purpose of calling him over was to introduce him to this man?

"You're a Mu-muggleborn, I believe." The man's eyes shone with excitement as if being a Muggleborn was something fascinating.

"I am," Jongdae answered. He was still puzzled as to why this was relevant information.

"Perfect!" The man clasped his hands, "Anyway, do tell me about your family. Were there any wizards at all in your lineage?"

Jongdae honestly didn't know. It's not like he kept a record of his family beyond his grandparents. He still tried his best to answer all of his questions. They were probably there for a couple hours and most of their conversation revolved around the same subject. After what felt like an eternity to Jongdae the man finally got up, "Well, it was nice talking to you, boys. I'll take my leave now." He picked up his fedora and tipped it towards them before setting off.

"What was that about?" Jongdae instantly turned to Baekhyun. "I know that you didn't call me here because you wanted to see me so spill."

Baekhyun looked sheepish. "Well, some of my father's friends are doing this research and they need a Muggleborn for that. It will be a great opportunity for you if you get to work with them, Jongdae. These are some really highly acclaimed people." He put a hand on his shoulder as he tried to convince him.

"I don't care how important these people are or what they're doing. This guy looked shady as fuck to me, digging into my family history like that. Treating me like I was some specimen." Jongdae shuddered when he thought back to how the man looked at him. "And don't even think I missed how he was about to call me  
."

Baekhyun cringed, "It's not like that at all." He tried to plead.

Jongdae shook his head, "I don't know what shit you're getting involved in, Baekhyun, but you are not dragging me into this." With that, he got up and stormed out of the house.

His heart was racing as he got back to his place and shut himself in his room. He couldn't believe that Baekhyun chose to associate himself with blood purists like that. He had never felt so insulted in his life. He didn't care what anyone thought about his family or his status as a Muggleborn but the fact that Baekhyun was willing to defend someone like that made him so disappointed.

He spent the next few days by himself, in his apartment. Bakehyun sent him several owls all of which were sent back empty-handed. Jongdae didn't bother reading any of the letters. He needed to distance himself from Baekhyun for some time and have some space.

Jongdae couldn't believe he was about to spend all his holidays hung up on a man but that's how much it affected him. About a week after their fight and ignoring Baekhyun's messages, Jongdae calmed down a little. He still didn't like the fact that Baekhyun had only called him over for a favour after days of not talking to him but he was willing to forgive for that and listen to what he had to say. So, when Baekhyun arrived at his door a couple days later he let him inside.

"Jongdae, I missed you." Baekhyun came up to hug him which Jongdae accepted. He had missed him too, honestly, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

"I'm an ass for trying to get you to do something that you're not comfortable with. I'm really sorry." Baekhyun continued.

"It's okay, Baekhyun. We don't have to talk about it. I'm glad that you came." Jongdae beckoned him towards the couch. 

"You're so good to me, Jongdae." Baekhyun smiled at him, although there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, "You know the man was a really good friend of my father's. I just thought that helping him out would be the right thing to do but I never thought about what you'd want."

Jongdae pursed his lips. Baekhyun had talked about not being able to spend as much time with his father because of living away in Europe for most of his life. He probably felt that he owed it to him to help his friends out and to fill all the roles that his father would probably want for him. In that split second, Jongdae made up his mind.

"Alright. I'll do it." He said, turning to Baekhyun to see how his expression changed from somber to surprise.

"You will?" He asked, "You don't have to do it because of me. Take your time to think about it."

"I've thought about it enough over the last few days." Jongdae said, taking Baekhyun's hand in his own, "As long as you're with me I know I'll be fine."

Baekhyun responded with a kiss. It was their first in weeks and Jongdae forgot how much he loved doing this. It might be a little irrational of him to say this but he might be in love with Baekhyun, to the point where he was willing to do anything for him.

…

"You're here." A voice broke through the silence as a man stepped in from one of the halls that lead into the foyer.

Baekhyun had a teasing smile on his face, something that seemed to be part of his appearance. The bright purple robes glittering with the light that reflected off of them. He made his way over to Jongdae and pulled him into a hug, "I'm glad you came, Jongdae." He whispered right into his ear, his breath tickling the other's skin.

Jongdae couldn't help but shiver at the intimacy. For the hundredth time, his brain was warning him against what he was about to do. But with Baekhyun's anticipating eyes and his hand on his shoulder beckoning him further into the house, he could only do so much not to follow.

Jongdae's eyes darted from each peculiar object as they made their way down the hall and Baekhyun led him through cryptic corridors branching out. The house looked extremely mysterious the way it was built. It was jacked in complete darkness with some amount of moonlight filtering in from the small windows here and there. Jongdae made sure to stick close to Baekhyun, his hand finding the other's so that he could have some sort of physical contact.

Soon enough, they found themselves in a cryptic hall in a cryptic open hall. The hall was lit up by an array of candles that lined the circumference of the area. Right in the middle, there stood three hooded figures which gave an eerie aura.

"You're finally here." One of the voices said. Jongdae instantly recognised it as the man Baekhyun had introduced him to. The man took off his hood to confirm Jongdae's suspicion. He shrank back, clinging onto Baekhyun even more.

"Nice to see you again, Jongdae." One of the other figures took off his hood to reveal the foreign minister's obnoxious face underneath it. He had a horrible smile and it didn't do anything to ease Jongdae's discomfort.

The third figure remained hooded as it turned around and busied itself with jars of chemicals that Jongdae only just noticed. "Baekhyun, can you please help Jaeyeon out please." He said in a calm, poised voice.

Once Baekhyun and Jaeyeon were out of the room, the man turned to him, "Nice to meet you, Jongdae." He took off his hood to reveal his face and Jongdae had to hold back a gasp when he recognised the eyes and facial features. Even if he hadn't seen Byun Junhe's faces in the papers before he would've been able to recognise him as Baekhyun's father any time. The resemblance in the face was uncanny.

"How are you…?" Jongdae couldn't finish the sentence before he was pushed onto an examination table.

"Magic works in mysterious ways, my son," Junhe commented, his face taking on a wicked grin as he disarmed Jongdae and strapped him down with a spell. Laces of black material wrapped around his arms and legs keeping him firmly in place. "And you're going to help us create history." He said as he waved his wand yet again to gag Jongdae with a cloth that appeared out of thin air. 

Jongdae tried to move and scream but all his efforts were rendered useless as the man came up with a huge syringe and pushed his left sleeve up before pushing the needle in his flesh.

"The blood of a Mudblood is truly a fascinating thing." Junhe went on as he continued to extract blood from him.

With horror, Jongdae realised that the jars of 'chemicals' he was looking at earlier weren't chemicals at all but actual blood. How many Muggleborns had been lured in by these men and been used for their crazy experiments before? Jongdae's eyes prickled as he thought of what would happen to him afterwards. They wouldn't just let him go. He wondered if Baekhyun was involved with them too. Maybe that was his entire reason for getting close to him so he could lure him and let him be used by his dad and his peers.

Jongdae didn't know how much blood got extracted from him but it was enough to render him unconscious for a while. When he woke up he was still bound to the table. It was a pain to open his eyes but he saw a figure walking in and his eyes flew open.

"Jongdae?!" It was Baekhyun's voice. He sounded horrified. "What did they do to you?" Jongdae couldn't tell if Baekhyun was genuinely shocked or if he was an amazing actor.

He came up to him and Jongdae tried to curse at him through his gag. He was the one who brought this shit onto him. Jongdae should've known better and stayed away from someone like him. 

"Fuck." Baekhyun patted his arm, "I need to get you out of these before anyone comes."

He saw Baekhyun murmur spell after spell but none would undo the bindings that held Jongdae down. "Shit." Baekhyun cursed, before putting his wand back and grabbing a knife from the storage rack nearby and physically hacking the bindings. Surprisingly, it worked. He worked on Jongdae's arms and legs first before finally freeing his mouth.

"Shit. I'm so sorry. I had no idea this was what they were planning to do." Baekhyun tried to reach over for him but Jongdae stepped back.

"Don't fucking pretend that you're not a part of this, Baekhyun." Jongdae sneered, "You and your freak of a father probably planned this entire thing!" 

"What the fuck, Jongdae. What's my father got to do with this?"

"Don't act dumb. You know that the third man, the man behind their entire shitshow is your father, Byun Junhe." Jongdae snapped, "He was the one who strapped me here in the first place."

Baekhyun looked concerned, "Jongdae are you sure you're not hallucinating? My father is dead. Gone. Never coming back."

"Are you so sure about that, son?" A vile voice entered the room. There stood Baekhyun's father in the flesh, looking at both of them with a smug smile of his. Even though his features resemble his son's, he couldn't look any different. While Baekhyun had a charming, bright smile, his father seemed to have a permanent smug expression aside he was sure he was better than everyone else in the room. "I should've known you would try to come here for your boyfriend. Unfortunately, I can't let you take him away from me just yet."

The man waved his wand, shooting out a stunning spell but Baekhyun was quick to block it. "What the fuck is going on here?" He turned to Jongdae and then the three men that entered the room.

"Your dad is alive and he's trying to witch hunt all the Muggleborns in the country." Jongdae worded it out for him as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"Thank you Jongdae. Now we're all on the same page." Jaeyeon said as he directed a spell towards him. Without a wand at hand, all Jongdae could do was duck out of the direction of the spell to avoid it. He rolled closer to the foreign minister and found the opportunity to tug his wand right out of his hand.

"Jongdae, watch out!" Baekhyun screamed as his father directed a spell at him. With a wand in his hands now, Jongdae could easily deflect it and instead, it hit Kijun instead, rendering him stunned.

Jongdae countered with his own stunning spell but Junhe managed to summon a shield in time. At the same time, Baekhyun attacked an unsuspecting Jaeyeon, disarming him at first and then stunning him.

Jongdae was having a one on one duel with Junhe. Both of them shooting spell after spell and easily avoiding any attacks that came their way. Suddenly Baekhyun shot a spell at his father from the side where his shield wasn't covering him but the man quickly dodged out of the way.

"You're gonna turn against your old man like that, Baekhyun?" The man sneered, turning to his son. His voice sounded in a whispery tone as he attempted to manipulate him.

"A man like you doesn't deserve to be a father. No wonder Mother left you." Baekhyun said, his face covered in tears as he edged forward. He looked like a mess but he still took steps towards his father as he faced the man whom he wanted to please for so long. The man whose death left him with such a guilt that he wanted to do almost anything to make amends. Now, being forced to see the reality he was having different thoughts.

"Come on, Baekhyun, you don't mean that," Junhe said in his velvety voice. He extended his arms, inviting Baekhyun for a hug. For a second it actually looked like Baekhyun would accept the hug but the moment was interrupted as a powerful spell sped towards the man from his side and hit him straight in the chest, sending him stumbling back as he got knocked out. 

Baekhyun turned to Jongdae, his expression turned into that of amusement. "Just like laser tag, huh?"

Jongdae smiled at him, nodding. "Yeah, just like laser tag." He chuckled before his head got heady and he fell to his knees. Baekhyun was quick to come to his side.

"It's okay. You're okay now." He whispered as Jongdae fell unconscious.

…

Aurors filtered in the place when Jongdae woke up again. There were Healers fussing over him but he could make out the Aurors that investigated the surroundings and checked the three stunned men. Baekhyun was right by his side, holding his hand.

"You okay?" He asked gently, brushing his face out of his face. The act seemed so intimate especially in front of everyone else around them but Jongdae didn't care. He wanted to get out of that place so he could be alone with Baekhyun. But the Healers wouldn't leave him alone. Apparently, they'd done a successful blood transfusion to make up for his loss of blood but he was still advised to lay down and rest until he had enough energy to walk again.

"Jongdae, Baekhyun!" The Head Auror came bumbling forward to seek them out. He sent the Healers away with a flick of his wrist, "Great job on catching these culprits, you guys. It wouldn't have been possible even for the most powerful of Aurors given how influential these men were. Apparently, they had been experimenting on both innocent Muggleborns and Muggles trying to find as they say and I quote 'a cure to Mudbloods'. They treat Muggleborns like a mutation in the Muggle race and claim that their birth is purely accidental and they must never intermingle with pure-blooded wizards."

Baekhyun and the Head Auror go on to discuss the contents of the journals that were found in the house but Jongdae was feeling too light-headed to pay much attention to their conversation. When the Head Auror finally left them, Jongdae tugged at Baekhyun.

"Can we please get out of here?" He whispered.

"Of course." Baekhyun maneuvered him up and supported him as they made their way out. The corridors were much better lit now in the early hours of the day.

They spotted Junmyeon making his way towards them when he stopped upon seeing them. He then smirked at Jongdae. "I hate to be the person to say I told you so but I kinda did."

Jongdae laughed. He was glad that Junmyeon hadn't held a grudge against him.

The older then turned serious, "I'm glad you're okay." He turned around to face Baekhyun as well, "Both of you." He patted them on their shoulders as he left.

They slowly made their way out of the house, passing other colleagues on their way. The sensation of passing through a brick wall was always odd for Jongdae but they made it outside where it was snowing lightly.

Baekhyun turned towards Jongdae, "Oh yeah I almost forgot. Merry Christmas." He said after a beat. His eyes shone in delight and a single snowflake landed on his nose where it melted. Jongdae had never seen a man more beautiful so he instantly leaned in to meet his lips.

"Merry Christmas, Baekhyun."

x


End file.
